This unit will take place over approximately two weeks and will be conducted in three lessons. In the case that more time is needed for students to complete in-class or at-home exercises, we recommend that an additional week be considered. Lesson 1 will be presented first, Lesson 2 next, and Lesson 3 last.
Lesson 1 (2 days) will introduce students to various terms relevant to the unit. Students will use this knowledge to analyze nutrient values and evaluate the foods they eat to determine whether they are or are not target for their daily dietary intake. On the first day, in addition to learning about different nutrient values, students will use Dipity to start a food journal that they will work on throughout the week (approximately five days including the day of class) and complete by the time Lesson 2 meets. On the second day, students will learn about different types of calories and how to calculate calories. Student will also learn to use the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) chart to find the proper amount of calories they should be consuming each day.
In Lesson 2 (1 day), Teacher will share his/her Dipity food timeline to discuss with the students who will then help the teacher create a personal eating plan. Students will create their personal eating plans, using prior knowledge from Lesson 1. This lesson is designed to be conducted in one day; the personal eating plan assignment may require more than one class period's worth of time, however.
Lesson 3 (4 days) will introduce students learn to food culture and facts about food, health, and culture in a specific country. Students will be assigned to create a visual presentation of what they find using web based tools. The first day of the lesson will focus on what food culture and how it can be displayed through what a family eats in a week. The remaining three classes will be dedicated to students working in groups to create and present a collage of images and facts about the food culture of another country. During the second class, students will research their country with their groups and complete a graphic organizer. The third class will be dedicated to compiling information in a collage using an online tool, and the last day will feature student presentations of their country collage.
Assignments and assessment
(Lesson 1)
An exit card will be provided to students at the end of the first day. Students, using the meal that they described on Dipity, are to give one example of a food item that they consumed for each of the six essential nutrients. The exit cards will be assessed for student understanding that six essential nutrients exist to help us stay healthy and that they are included in different foods that we consume.
- Are presence or absence of six essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water) addressed?
A spreadsheet on calculating calories will be provided to students on the second day. Students will use Nutrient Facts to find information and use their food journal on Dipity as guides to the foods they will be looking up. Students will use their laptops to search for the food and fill in their chart individually. The calorie calculations worksheets will be assessed for accuracy.
- Are different types of calories addressed (carbohydrates, fats and proteins)?
- Do numbers add up correctly?
(Lesson 2) Dipity food journals will be assessed on date and times, food description and nutritional information.
- Is food separated into meals?
- Are all five days recorded?
- Is food consumed for each meal clearly described using appropriate text and properly cited media (images or video)?
- Is the amount of food consumed clearly described?
- Is nutritional information of food clearly described, with reference to different nutrient values?
- Is daily calories intake described for at least one meal?
Students will create a personal eating plan by selecting a day from their Dipity food journals and improving their food choices from that day. Students will graphically represent their improvements on paper plates. Students will submit their personal eating plans presented on paper plates. Personal eating plans will be assessed on meals covered, goals and understanding of proper and balanced nutrient intake.
- Are all three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) presented?
- Does the plan adequately compare their eating habits from food journals to healthy ideals?
- Are improvements based on sound understanding of nutrient values and calories?
- Are student's nutritional/ideal eating goals clearly represented visually or in writing?
(Lesson 3)
Students will complete and submit a picture of their family's food for the week.
- Does the picture provide an accurate presentation by including a range of food items that the student's family eats or drinks?
- Does the picture use a variety of presentation methods, including text and images?
Students will submit and present the final collage of the food culture of a country.
- Does the group graphic organizer submitted in the previous lesson provide some information about the food culture of the chosen country?
- Are facts about health and hunger in this country adequately represented?
- Are food related traditions adequately represented?
- Are most common foods consumed in this culture adequately represented?
- Are resources used properly cited?
- Are main ideas communicated knowledgeably and with enthusiasm, proper voice projection and appropriate language?
- Did all members of the group/team participate to help accomplish the objectives?
The Implementation & Assignments
Sequence
This unit will take place over approximately two weeks and will be conducted in three lessons. In the case that more time is needed for students to complete in-class or at-home exercises, we recommend that an additional week be considered. Lesson 1 will be presented first, Lesson 2 next, and Lesson 3 last.
Lesson 1 (2 days) will introduce students to various terms relevant to the unit. Students will use this knowledge to analyze nutrient values and evaluate the foods they eat to determine whether they are or are not target for their daily dietary intake. On the first day, in addition to learning about different nutrient values, students will use Dipity to start a food journal that they will work on throughout the week (approximately five days including the day of class) and complete by the time Lesson 2 meets. On the second day, students will learn about different types of calories and how to calculate calories. Student will also learn to use the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) chart to find the proper amount of calories they should be consuming each day.
In Lesson 2 (1 day), Teacher will share his/her Dipity food timeline to discuss with the students who will then help the teacher create a personal eating plan. Students will create their personal eating plans, using prior knowledge from Lesson 1. This lesson is designed to be conducted in one day; the personal eating plan assignment may require more than one class period's worth of time, however.
Lesson 3 (4 days) will introduce students learn to food culture and facts about food, health, and culture in a specific country. Students will be assigned to create a visual presentation of what they find using web based tools. The first day of the lesson will focus on what food culture and how it can be displayed through what a family eats in a week. The remaining three classes will be dedicated to students working in groups to create and present a collage of images and facts about the food culture of another country. During the second class, students will research their country with their groups and complete a graphic organizer. The third class will be dedicated to compiling information in a collage using an online tool, and the last day will feature student presentations of their country collage.
Assignments and assessment
(Lesson 1)
An exit card will be provided to students at the end of the first day. Students, using the meal that they described on Dipity, are to give one example of a food item that they consumed for each of the six essential nutrients. The exit cards will be assessed for student understanding that six essential nutrients exist to help us stay healthy and that they are included in different foods that we consume.
- Are presence or absence of six essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals and water) addressed?
A spreadsheet on calculating calories will be provided to students on the second day. Students will use Nutrient Facts to find information and use their food journal on Dipity as guides to the foods they will be looking up. Students will use their laptops to search for the food and fill in their chart individually. The calorie calculations worksheets will be assessed for accuracy.
- Are different types of calories addressed (carbohydrates, fats and proteins)?
- Do numbers add up correctly?
(Lesson 2)
Dipity food journals will be assessed on date and times, food description and nutritional information.
- Is food separated into meals?
- Are all five days recorded?
- Is food consumed for each meal clearly described using appropriate text and properly cited media (images or video)?
- Is the amount of food consumed clearly described?
- Is nutritional information of food clearly described, with reference to different nutrient values?
- Is daily calories intake described for at least one meal?
Students will create a personal eating plan by selecting a day from their Dipity food journals and improving their food choices from that day. Students will graphically represent their improvements on paper plates. Students will submit their personal eating plans presented on paper plates. Personal eating plans will be assessed on meals covered, goals and understanding of proper and balanced nutrient intake.
- Are all three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) presented?
- Does the plan adequately compare their eating habits from food journals to healthy ideals?
- Are improvements based on sound understanding of nutrient values and calories?
- Are student's nutritional/ideal eating goals clearly represented visually or in writing?
(Lesson 3)
Students will complete and submit a picture of their family's food for the week.
- Does the picture provide an accurate presentation by including a range of food items that the student's family eats or drinks?
- Does the picture use a variety of presentation methods, including text and images?
Students will submit and present the final collage of the food culture of a country.
- Does the group graphic organizer submitted in the previous lesson provide some information about the food culture of the chosen country?
- Are facts about health and hunger in this country adequately represented?
- Are food related traditions adequately represented?
- Are most common foods consumed in this culture adequately represented?
- Are resources used properly cited?
- Are main ideas communicated knowledgeably and with enthusiasm, proper voice projection and appropriate language?
- Did all members of the group/team participate to help accomplish the objectives?
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Introduction
Topic & Standards
Setting & Context
Materials & Technology Tools
Implementation & Assignments